A Little Sunshine
by Abori Chan
Summary: Inuyasha is a grumpy office worker. He feels his life is routinely dull. What happens when Natsumi, a bubbly out-of-the-country girl enters the show? Will he finally get a spot of sunshine in his life? With a stoic Sesshoumaru, a mad Miroku and an assortment of characters let's enter this bittersweet, humorous adventure! Inu X OC. Please Read and Review! My First Fanfic!
1. Something in the Fog

**DISCLAIMER:** _I do not own Inuyasha. It's the property of Rumiko Takahashi _

**A/N: My first fanfic! Please go easy on me! Read and Review!**

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Dark clouds poured torrential rain which swished and swirled down the cobbled streets. It was nearing midnight and the streets were deserted. The shop shutters were closed save for some of the 24-hour convenience stores. Passage of occasional vehicles let up violent sprays of rain water which sent the half-asleep strays scampering. To make matters worse, the ambience was saturated with a heavy fog in which it would be difficult to decipher the living and the dead.

Inuyasha had proved himself to be unfortunate enough to get caught in such a horrible weather. He drove down the street in fury ignoring the low visibility and chances of a crash. He was furious at Bankotsu, his new boss who forced him to work overtime on a Sunday. A bloody Sunday! His only holiday was completely ruined. True, he did nothing special on Sunday but it was _his _day. Bankotsu, though his boss, had no right to steal his reprieve. "Overtimes are normal when you have an ordinary desk job, Inuyasha. So just shut up and deal with it." Bankotsu had said. _'Damn him! Maybe I'll ring him incessantly the next Sunday and see if he likes it! If he even so much as dares to suggest this again I swear to God I will strangle him.' _He thought. His outburst had so over clouded his senses that at first he did not see the obstacle on the road. All he remembered was putting his foot down in urgency.

The car came to clumsy halt, not before skidding, swerving sideways and nearly hitting a lamp-post. Inuyasha was out of the car as soon as he was done recovering from the inertia. He looked around wildly. He couldn't see a thing. The light of the lamp-post had been diffused by the fog making everything look eerie. What the hell was it that had made him brake so hard? Did he really see something or was it the trick of the fog? Was he imagining things? Given the weather conditions it was credible but how could he think up a _human_ silhouette? Or…was that…a ghost? He looked around warily, uneasily. Suddenly a figure came hurtling out of the fog towards him. "Hey, mister! Are you all right?" A feminine voice called. A girl stood before him. Her long hair was tied in a loose pony, Rivulets of water streamed down her hair and face. Her eyes shone eerily in the half-light. "Was it you who I missed?" Inuyasha hollered. He was still dazed to see the girl appear out of nowhere. "Uh yeah; I'm sorry." She whispered. Inuyasha's temper boiled over. Here he was, returning home tired and frustrated and to top it off this lousy girl nearly made him have an accident! "What the hell are you doing anyway on the road in the middle of the night, you idiot?! Couldn't you at least run when you saw the headlights approaching? If I hadn't swerved in time you would have been in the hospital and I in prison. If you had half a brain in you would have just run across!" He yelled not caring to see that the poor girl was on the verge of tears. "Um-uh I-I am s-sorry…" She began. Inuyasha snorted got into his car and slammed the door shut. The girl still stood there trembling and drenched. He ignored her and drove away noisily. "Accidents happen just due to morons like her." He muttered to himself. Clearly, this day was his worst ever.

"You're late." Sesshoumaru said as Inuyasha entered the house. "Like I don't know that, you snob!" Inuyasha snapped. The man took no notice and advised "I've prepared dinner. Eat it while it's still hot." "No thanks, bro. I don't wanna eat your poison."He muttered churlishly. "Fine. I'll give it to the neighbour's cat. At least she is more appreciating." Sesshoumaru said coolly. He was habituated to Inuyasha's fiery and abusive tongue. He knew that Inuyasha had anger management issues and often threw his weight around. He also knew that underneath all that bold and bluster there lived a soft heart. A kind heart. A heart that had endured. Sesshoumaru ceased his reflections to look up at his younger brother. Inuyasha looked tensed for some reason. Protruding chin, creased forehead, furrowed brows and that familiar pout; all these were tell tale signs that something was bothering him unduly. "What's wrong Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru asked as he adjusted his rimless glasses and concentrated on his paperwork. "That's none of your concern!" Inuyasha shot back. He finished his dinner sloppily, set down the dishes in the sink with a crash and stomped into the bedroom. Heaving a sigh, the elder one went back to his paperwork.

_'Just let's hope Bankotsu doesn't die a terrible death…'_

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**A/N: What is Inuyasha worried about? Wait for the 2nd Chapter!**


	2. Isn't Something Missing?

**DISCLAIMER:** _I do not own Inuyasha. It's the property of Rumiko Takahashi _

**A/N: Read and Review! This chapter is not in the original story but things just keep popping into my head! **

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Inuyasha gave a frustrated sigh. This was not him. This was not the way he was supposed to be. He grew more and more irritated as he neared the 'accident site'. There was the lamp-post of yore. It seemed slightly tilted. Funny, he never remembered having dashed it. He looked around for a suitable place to stand. Along the footpath was a bus-stop. Maybe he never saw it that night due to the fog. He stood near the bus-stop; away from the crowd. He wasn't here to catch the bus anyway. It was a Saturday which meant he had a half day. Thus he was able to come here to carry out his mission. He hated the fact that he had to do this although no one had forced him. Day and night his inner voice had tormented him.

After having gone home that night he secretly regretted his behaviour. He had yelled at that poor girl without a reason. Never mind that he literally crashed due to her. It dawned upon him that it was possible that she may have been in some trouble and needed his help. It was also possible that she was lost and needed someone to drop her back home. A lonely girl drenched and wandering in the middle of the night attracted all sorts of trouble. But again, why did he have to bother? Who was she to him? Who was he to her? She was a stranger. That resolved the matter. He didn't need bother about her. But...let's just say…his conscience was a bitch. This soul calling had defeated him and dragged him to where he stood now. The best possible way to locate her would be to go back to the place he first saw her. Or so he thought.

Hours passed. It had been overcast this morning and even though it was late afternoon now the oppressive clouds refused to budge. The fact that it didn't rain annoyed him further. Clouds are supposed to bring rain, not hang around depressing people. Already most of the population was cursing the weather for raising a false alarm making them carry the extra baggage of rain coats and umbrellas. A crowded bus halted, unleashed half of its passengers and departed. This area of the city was very much sought after as most of the markets and malls were situated here which was why it was known as Market Square. Inuyasha remembered how he and Sesshoumaru had tried to get a house here but cancelled the plan as the property rates were excruciating. He paid unusually close attention to every person on the street. It was imperative for him to find out if she was there because if that was the case he'd be satisfied and could go home. But there seemed to be no sign of anyone who even bore a resemblance. Inuyasha felt his frustration rise. He obviously had no business wandering around here looking for a stranger who nearly ran herself over. _'Hell! It was her fault for coming in front of my car! Why the hell should I fret over her well-being? For all I care she may well have been a hooker; who else wanders around at midnight?!' _Thus making up his mind Inuyasha stalked away not before bumping into one of the persons standing near the bus stop and got into his car. All in the nick of time as the clouds thundered and the first drops of rain began to fall.

Inuyasha lazed around on the bed. He was tired after all that madness and wanted to sleep. He had just shut his eyes when his cell phone vibrated. He let out a groan and picked up the device. It was a text from Sesshoumaru:

"Will be late. Extra-time. No need to wait up."

"He seriously did not need to do that. I normally don't wait up for him anyway." He muttered. In any case he knew that Sesshoumaru was lying. He wasn't going to work overtime but catch a train to Kamagaya to meet Inukimi, his mother. Sesshoumaru was his half-brother which was why they were so different from each other. He was a general stoic who never bothered about human emotions but Inuyasha did know that he went to visit Inukimi from time to time. To Inuyasha, it hardly mattered. He was never concerned with any of Sesshoumaru's relations. He switched off the phone and prepared himself for a drive to Dreamland.

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Inuyasha was just dreaming about tying Bankotsu to a chair and torturing him with steamed okra when the shrill shriek of the doorbell shot through his ears shattering his dream and his sleep. He got up with a jerk groping around in a daze. The doorbell shrieked again introducing urgency in his body. He pushed himself forward fell flat on his face. He cursed his luck, jumped up and staggered to the door. The cursed doorbell was ringing for the fourth time when he reached it and pulled it open. Sango, his neighbour stood outside with something in her hand. "Evening, Inuyasha." She said and elbowed her way into the house. "Morning. Why, Sango I wonder how you couldn't hit the doorbell any harder" He growled. Sango rolled her eyes and said "Sorry Inuyasha. If I had hit it any harder your house would be in flames." He snorted and tossed his head. "By the way Inuyasha, you never told me that you had such a cute girlfriend." Inuyasha froze. What the hell was Sango talking about? He whirled around "What the hell Sango? What do you mean _'girlfriend'_?" "Oh come on Inuyasha! Don't think I'm that stupid. I'm talking about the girl who came to return your wallet. It's very sweet of you to loan her your entire salary. Fortunately, she doesn't appear high-maintenance." Sango teased holding up an object that did look like his wallet. Inuyasha's head was spinning like a top. He dashed to the bedroom and dug into the pockets of his shirt and pants. His wallet was missing. He searched every nook and cranny of the bedroom but he couldn't find his wallet. He came back to the hall. His head was still reeling. "Inuyasha?" Sango called. A mixture of surprise and confusion reflected in her brown eyes.

"Inuyasha? Your wallet is here in my hands. Don't tell me you didn't know about it!" Sango repeated. Inuyasha did not reply. This didn't make any sense. How had his wallet disappeared? Who had brought it back and how? "Sango, what was the girl's name?" He asked. "Inuyasha! Don't play such horrible games with me. How on earth can you forget your girlfriend's-""She is NOT my girlfriend Sango! Just cut the crap and get to the bloody point! Who was she had how did she come here?! And why did she give you the wallet instead of giving it to me?!" Inuyasha yelled. Sango shut her mouth and stared at her friend. He never appeared so livid. Maybe he didn't know anything about this. "Alright Inuyasha I'll explain." She said pulling up a chair to sit on. Inuyasha perched himself on the arm of the sofa and watched her like a hawk. "That girl, her name is Natsumi, told me that she found your wallet at the bus-stop near Market Square. She looked up your address through your driving license. She even called you but since your phone was switched off she came straight here. But because you sleep like a buffalo you didn't even open the door! She was just going back from the apartment when Miroku…" She trailed away embarrassed. "Threw a sandal at her? Well, we all know that's normal Sango. He must have also asked her to—""He did that! The pervert! God, Inuyasha, if he wasn't the father of my children…I'd have killed him long time ago!" Sango wailed. "Makes me wonder why you didn't do that when he proposed you." Inuyasha muttered. "What happened with Natsumi?" "She yelled at Miroku for being such a prick. I told her that I was your neighbour and she gave your wallet to me." "Why didn't you call me then?" He asked. "On the phone which was switched off? Don't kid me, Inu!" Sango laughed. "Anyway, do you need any help with the dinner?""Nah, I can cook my own." Inuyasha said walking up to the entrance. "Alright. Is Sesshoumaru working overtime again?" "Yeah, thanks for the wallet.""You should thank Natsumi for that! And don't misplace your wallet again. The next time you may not be so lucky." She smiled. "Yeah, whatever." He mumbled shutting the door.

Natsumi! Nice name, although he still had to figure out if she would be a nice person. Also he couldn't be sure if she was the same girl who nearly came under his car-wheel a week ago. Staring out of his window he realized it was late evening. The sky was splashed with a deep blue. Wispy purple clouds floated across the sky. Fine, luminous stars stood out like tiny points of light. He pulled off his shirt and lay on the floor staring at the rotating ceiling fan. Suddenly a thought occurred to him and he checked his wallet. Everything was intact. That irritated him. Just who was this goody-goody? She first appears like a ghost and now disappears like one. And why was he bothered again? He didn't know. But how did his wallet get there in the first place? No idea. It just did. He sat up and reached for his cell phone. Two questions tormented him very much. Was Natsumi the same girl? How did he misplace his wallet so easily? On switching on his phone he realized he had two missed calls. One was from Sesshoumaru. The other number was unknown. Could it be Natsumi?

'_She even called you but since your phone was switched off she came straight here.' _

A layer of perspiration formed on his upper lip. His mind was forcing him to take a decision. But would he do it?

Yes. Yes he would.


	3. Sweet Arguments

DISCLAIMER: _I do not own Inuyasha. It's the property of Rumiko Takahashi _

_**A/N: I'd like to thank bloodrose26 for her kind review on my last chapter. She writes very well so if you're reading my fanfic I'd request you to read her stories too. :) Also many thanks for adding me to your community. **_

_**Another person I'd like to thank is my Mom. If it wasn't for her this chapter ending would have been a dump. Love you, Mom! ^_^ **_

_**Okay so I'll shut up and let you people read.  
**_

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Natsumi stared out of the window and sighed. Her glasses had fogged up. She pulled them off and wiped them on her clothing before wearing them back. It had stopped raining but the roads were still wet and slippery. The bus was comfortable and she was glad she had gotten the window seat. She watched the street and shop lights flicker and reflect on the damp road. "It has been a really adventurous day." She said to herself as she untangled her earphones. Popping them in she prepared herself to drown into the music. But she hadn't forgotten the day's events. It was by sheer coincidence that she had found that wallet. She had been sitting, waiting for the bus at Market Square when a rashly driven car had passed close by spraying fountains of water on all and sundry. She pushed her feet back to avoid getting wet and kicked something and picked it up. It was an old brown leather wallet, wrinkled and splitting at the seams, the stitching all undone. She examined the object. There was nothing except some notes and change. Natsumi was puzzled. _'Who on earth would possess a wallet without any credentials?' _She searched a bit and found a secret compartment. Ah ha! Here was a driving license. Her eyes bulged and her mouth dropped open in shock as she focused on the photograph that was provided. Long silver hair and amber eyes, a defiant chin and an irritated expression. Of course! It was the same man who had nearly run her over a week ago! What a twisted fate was hers that she had found the wallet of the very person who not only tried to kill her but also had bad-mouthed her!

Natsumi hadn't forgotten that night. She was humiliated. If the man had just called her an idiot and left she wouldn't have minded the least bit. But he had yelled at her badly and not accepted his own fault. Even in the thick fog he couldn't try and pay any attention to the road! Natsumi had fumed for a day or two but later given it up. What chances were that she would meet him again? Nil. It would be better to leave the matter alone. But this…she had not expected. She almost wanted to leave the wallet there and catch the bus home but something gnawed at her. No. That would be irresponsible. It would not be correct. No matter how bad the man may or may not be this was lost property. She had found it and to ignore it would go against the role of a responsible citizen. She was going to return the wallet. Chances were that the man may not recognize her. But if he did, she wasn't going to spare him without giving him a piece of her mind. "Inuyasha Taishou, huh?" She muttered looking at the license.

'_But the visit was a sort of an anti-climax. Except maybe for…that sandal-throwing pervert; at least his wife Sango was nice enough.'_ She thought. That apartment was a settlement of savages. She cut short her musings and stared out of the window. They were now nearer to the Ichigawa Daigakkou*which meant that she would reach her destination in 15 minutes. Her phone buzzed. _'It must be Amaya or Sanyu calling to see why I'm so late.'_ She thought as she received the call. "Hello?" "Who is this?" Asked a male voice at the other end. Natsumi felt a teeny bit annoyed. The man was calling _her_. Wasn't he supposed to know who he was calling?! "This is Natsumi. Who are you?" There was long pause at the other end. The voice finally replied, "Inuyasha." Natsumi froze. Was this guy a weird stalker or something? She looked around the bus apprehensively. _'Wait. Didn't I return his wallet? Maybe he has simply called to thank me? Yeah. That should be it. Why will he hate me?'_ She thought and composed her jumpy nerves. "Are you still there?" He asked. "Uh, yeah I'm listening." She stuttered adjusting her glasses. "You're really clever, you know." He began. "You're really clever…you steal my wallet from me and then making a pretense of a 'good Samaritan' come back to return it to me? What kind of a hypocrite _are you_?" He asked patronizingly. Natsumi was speechless. No words could issue out of her mouth on how much of a gigantic airhead this man was. She hollered into the phone before he could continue.

"Are you accusing me of stealing your wallet first, like an idiot, and coming back to return it to you pretending to be a good person?"She confirmed trying not to shout.

"Unless you're deaf, that's exactly what I said!"

"Can I ask you a question?" She continued. Her voice was calm now.

"Huh? What?"

"Are you on some kind of a drug?"

"No. Why do you ask?" He questioned, confused.

"You're certainly speaking like you're on one. Before you say anything else stupid I'd like to clear up a few things since your head seems to be overflowing with hay and refuse.

One, I came to return your wallet because it is an act befitting a **mature **and a **responsible** person, something that the narrow confines of your mind cannot comprehend.

Two, if you called me up to argue with me then you're wasting your time. I have no desire to even speak to fools like you who will, most probably, pull me down to their level and beat me with experience.

Three, you owe me a big apology for insulting me earlier and nearly killing me since you have the driving sense of a rhino. And finally, I wish to tell you a little something: You are the most careless, snobbish, haughty, savage and arrogant prick! If you had thanked me for returning your wallet and sincerely apologized for Sunday night I would have been glad that I returned your lost property. But you instead chose to turn on me and accuse me of theft. You are the one who's a hypocrite, Mr. Taishou! I hope you burn in hell for what you've done! Goodbye."

Natsumi panted and clicked off the phone with disgust. Her victory was in the fact that she had presented her opinion in a calm manner, without the slightest raise in her voice. All the same she wondered why such people even existed. She detested people who treated others like dirt. Anyway, it was fun to clarify herself in way that would irritate him. It burned the very soul of these people if you talked them in a calm but stem manner as they were always in the expectation of being yelled at and fed off the frustration of others like incubuses. The bus "dinged" and the conductor called out her stop which made her jump up and dash out of the bus.

She hummed as she walked through the street. She had never felt so radiant. So light-hearted. She felt as though the world was under her feet. _'I must remember to pick up some dessert from Oume's.'_ She thought to herself happily.

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It was easy enough to see that Natsumi was not a native. She hailed from India, the land of sun and spirituality. One would wonder why she had come here to make a living. To be precise, she was one of the many students who had been sent to Japan to study the Art and Culture of the land. She was 23 years old with a Diploma in Japanese Translation. She lived in an apartment called Kasutou Toshi with three other girls of assorted nationality. Most of them were connected to her profession. They were Darya, Abelle and Sanyu. Darya called Dana, who was Russian, had learnt Japanese to study the Science and Technology. Abelle known as Amaya, was French, in a rare display of learning another language was here studying History and Archaeology. Sanyu was a very pretty Japanese girl, staying with them to guide and mentor them in their work. She was the one who usually organized trips for Natsumi and Amaya since History and Arts went hand in hand. Dana preferred to work alone but she was a valuable team member. Her blunt yet constructive advice often helped other three. Apart from their research work they also freelanced teaching their native languages at the Daigakkou. Altogether the girls lived a happy contented life balanced with the right amount of work and play.

Later that night over the daifuku**that Natsumi had brought Amaya told her friends about an upcoming event. "You guys remember that I had got a certificate and felicitation for my thesis on _'Shogun no Rekishi'_? ***I want to celebrate my success." "Well, that's great! What are your plans? Should we go out on some outing?" Sanyu asked.

"No. That would be too much. Also my boss has organized an important meeting the day after. If we go out anywhere I won't be able to have a good night's sleep." Amaya said with a sigh. "Are you suggesting that we should celebrate at home?" Natsumi asked. Although she and Amaya went together on a lot of field trips Natsumi had no connection with Amaya's office colleagues. They specialized in different subjects and thus their offices were different. "Yeah. That was what I was thinking. I want to have a party on Thursday." Amaya affirmed lying down on the bed while her two friends lazed around on the floor. "But…I don't think my boss will give me a day off." She mumbled.

At this Dana turned away from the computer and said "Why don't you invite him here? We'll have more people and you can introduce your boss as your mentor or something." "That's a great idea Dana! You're always the calculative one!" Sanyu exclaimed with a laugh. Dana smiled. She never smiled much but when she did she really meant it. "Hey, I'm thinking of inviting Tomoya and Chiyo, as well." Sanyu put in. "That's fine too. So we have about 7 people. Natsu, what about you? Can you cook for us?" Amaya asked. "Oh yea! That's a fine idea. They'll love Natsu's cooking, her cuisines are delicious!" Sanyu said. "Uh, I'm not that of a great cook-" Natsumi began embarrassed. She didn't know if she would be able to cook for so many people."Shut up Natsumi. We all know how great of a cook you are and how delicious you food is. Stop being so modest." Dana commented from her seat. "Well, okay. I'll try to be imaginative on this. What will you guys do?" She asked.

"Decorations! It'll be fun with all the paper and-" Sanyu burst in. "Decorations?! We're not kids, San!" Amaya growled. "Then what do you propose to do?" Dana asked. "Umm…Sanyu can play on her violin. And Dana can show off how advanced she is on computer." "I'm not doing that." Dana muttered with her back to them. "And what will you do Amaya?" Sanyu asked. "Oh myself? I'll order you about like servants and impress my boss." Amaya replied with a chuckle. "Grrr. That's so annoying. Take this." Sanyu yelled flinging a pillow at the latter's face. A pillow fight began and the two girls pranced around the room hurling things at each other.

"Be careful, my tea, you idiot!"

"Get off my back, you fool! I'm not a wheelbarrow!"

"Yay, a free piggy back!"

"Stop it you two!"

"Ouch! My foot!"

"You kicked the katori-buta****you idiot!"

"God, I hate these people..."

Natsumi was oblivious to the chaos around her. She was wondering what to prepare for the party.

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*Daigakkou- University

**Daifuku- A popular Japanese sweet.

***Shogun no Rekishi- Lit: History of Military Warriors

****Katori-buta- A mosquito coil-holder shaped like a pig. An essential item for Japanese summer and rainy months. :)

**A/N: I know that was heck long. But I wanted to end the chapter on a good note with an idea to my readers of what to expect. I don't think I'll be updating for 2-3 days as I have to complete submissions for contests on dA. Please keep the reviews coming in! I'll be inspired to write more!**


	4. Bad Apples, Worse Party

**DISCLAIMER:** _I don't own and will never own Inuyasha. He belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. _

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Natsumi huffed along the pavement overloaded with grocery bags. She stopped at intervals to catch her breath. Carrying 5 bags together was a monumental task. Ignoring the obnoxious stares people were giving her Natsumi picked up the bags and moved on with her load. She had decided to make a blend of her and her roommates' cuisines. Russian fruit salad and koulibiaka, French tarte tatin and shrimp stew, Japanese yakisoba and dorayaki, finally, Indian curry rice and fry fish, puris and potato vegetable. Indian dishes usually came in pairs and therefore 6 individual dishes were in reality 3 whole dishes. Although she had been quite enthusiastic and over confident about the prospect of preparing so many different dishes she was not so sure now. Would she be able to cook so many things at once? Well, it was nearing 10:00am and the party would be late in the evening. She need not fret, after all her friends had promised to help her with the things. Sanyu and Amaya had offered to tag along and help her but Natsumi had refused. She liked to do things on her own. "No big deal carrying those bags." She had stated. But now as she shuffled awkwardly trying to keep her balance she regretted her decision. Her friends were right. _'Oh well, no use complaining about it. I'm the one who got myself in this mess. Great Natsumi, you're just an over-confident fool.'_ She thought. She walked along the pavement which presently went around a corner to the right. She would have to traverse from the corner and walk further up to reach her apartment. Setting down the bags on the road Natsumi waited patiently for the zebra crossing light to turn green. The weather was warm today but the clouds still hung about and there was not much sun. As soon as the traffic light turned red she took up her bags and walked across slowly trying to avoid bumping into people. As she went ahead with her balancing act, something terrifying happened. Her left toe got caught in the right slipper strap, a mix up that was going to hurl her face first into the road. She dropped all her bags to try and save herself but a strange noise made a look up. A madly speeding car was headed straight toward her.

_'Oh Shit.'_ Her mind echoed right before she heard the screech and squeal of tires and her own cry.

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Natsumi was gasping and panting badly. She lay a little away from the zebra crossing. She had been hit, although it was just a nudge. But a nudge can be all the more powerful if it's traveling at 110kmph. The car had hurtled to a stop right before it could crush her to a pulp. Her entire body was trembling. The fact that she was still alive was a miracle. Her toe was still entangled in her slipper. Pain shot up her shaky legs, as she tried to stand up. Her bags lay sprawled in all directions the contents all spilling out. A small crowd had gathered and was peering at her anxiously. Her glasses had bounced off her person. She located them and propped them back on fortunately, they had not broken. Dazed, she looked up at the traffic light. Had she misjudged things? No. The light was still red. This knocked some sense into her phased brain and she now glared angrily at the person who had bolted out of the car. Of course. She should have known. There was only one person who would drive so rashly without being drunk. He now stood before her, face purple with rage. She stood up, steadying herself via the bonnet of the car and dusted her clothes. It was the time for a final showdown. _'Inuyasha, you're going to wish you were never born.' _She thought menacingly as she confronted her adversary. He was the first to speak.

"It seems you'll have to eat your own words Natsumi. Looks like I'm not the one with a bad driving sense but _you're_ the one who's quite accident-prone. Also it seems you've decided to target me specifically for reasons unknown and you should thank me for prolonging your useless existence."

"I'm not going to thank you for that, you bastard. I'm not going to eat my words either because your driving sense has been promoted to that of a hippopotamus in my mind, like the sound of that?" Natsumi countered icily. Inuyasha's expression changed. He seemed more furious than ever.

"Just what the hell is your problem, bitch? Why the hell are you trying to kill yourself under my vehicle? Why can't you go and throw yourself under a train if you so much want to end your pathetic, depressed life?! If you want I'll give you a number of ways you can commit suicide, at least that way you won't bother me and anyway the world would be at peace if you just got rid of your gargantuan body!"

Natsumi hissed inwardly. True, she was not the perfect hourglass, true she was a little-too-much on the healthy side but he had no right to insult her body type. After all she had never commented on his ghostly silver hair and freaky amber eyes. But that was not the point. Keeping her weaker emotions in check she replied in a level voice, "Thank you for your suggestion, douche bag. Unfortunately, I'm living a perfectly happy life and have no desire to eliminate myself from the world. However, you should take some steps in that direction because if you continue living you'll only end up killing other people." That seemed to touch a nerve because if he looked purple earlier he had turned black now.

"So you mean to say that you got hit just because it was my fault? Did you get hit because I drive rashly? No. You got hit because you were tottering around like an over-laden donkey. There is no fault of mine in this!" Inuyasha yelled. Natsumi could literally see the steam escaping from his ears.

"No fault of yours indeed?! You may be correct about "tottering like an over laden donkey thing" but may I say Mr. Taishou how you crashed into the view when the traffic light was red and the zebra crossing light was green? Do I need to remind you that you can be jailed for that? Do I need to remind you that you broke the traffic rules and it's illegal to do that? I surely don't think you are blind because I could make that out even without my glasses." She said civilly.

Inuyasha looked shaken now but the stubborn glint never left his eyes. It looked like this man was going to beat her over with a sledgehammer until she accepted his opinion as correct. Coming in contact with her surroundings she noted that many of the pedestrians were gathering up her bags and stacking them up. She felt touched but the moment was broken when a smug smirk crossed Inuyasha's face.

"And who in the holy hell is going to believe that I attacked you at the red light?" Natsumi blinked, confused. What was he saying? Everyone had seen him, how he nearly ran her over. She remained bewildered until realization sank in. Whipping up her head she stared at the traffic light.

No. No. No. It was green.

She swallowed hard refusing to look at him."Come on, Miss-Mature-and-Responsible-Citizen, I'm demanding an answer. Who is going to believe that I attacked you at red light? For all I care, your witnesses have scampered away." He taunted laughing. Natsumi looked around. Yes, the crowd had dwindled and the traffic had resumed. Who would stand up for her now?

"I saw you." A woman's voice echoed behind her. Natsumi turned around, happy now. A middle aged woman stood behind her a shopping bag in her hand. She made her way to Inuyasha and said, "I saw you hit this girl on the red light young man, it would be better if you sincerely apologize to her. Otherwise we are taking you to the cops."

"Oh really?! And who's going to believe you?" "People will believe me because I was at the corner shop and I saw the entire incident. They will believe me because the shop owner and his assistant also saw what I saw. If you don't wanna be in the muck you better soften up."She said sharply and confidently. "Feh! I'm not beholden to you. You can't threaten me either. This bitch is responsible for trying to run herself over. I'm not at fault!" He snapped. Natsumi gave an irritated sigh. This fellow was just impossible! She walked across the road to gather up her bags. She watched how the woman and Inuyasha argued back and forth, Inuyasha getting more and more obnoxious by the minute. She was just in time to catch what Inuyasha was saying. "…and I think I've been kind-hearted enough to let her live!" Natsumi nearly dropped her bags again. She could feel her anger and disgust seep through her very skin. If anybody poured a bucket of water on her now it would probably evaporate. She picked up the first thing which she could reach for in her bag and hurled it at his face. He caught the missile which sped toward him and stared at her in shock. "You?! Kind-hearted? I laugh at your face, you imbecile. Cows will wear wings the day you exhibit even a speck of the emotion you're speaking of!" She answered rudely still seething with anger. Inuyasha stared at her wide-eyed and then looked at the object—an apple—that she had flung at him. He stared at it hard and a smug look crossed his face. He locked his eyes with her and bit into the fruit.

"Sweet! Why thank you, I was getting hungry, Miss Natsumi!"

Natsumi and the lady stared in shock. Inuyasha laughed derisively at the duo before getting into the car and exiting in an ungainly fashion.

Natsumi blinked. She looked up at the woman standing near her and said, "Forget all that happened Oba-san. Some people are just rotten from the start!"

* * *

Natsumi groaned in pain. Her right leg was still throbbing from the accident. Whenever pain shot up her leg she cursed Inuyasha. This had happened over a dozen times already. She hobbled up the stairs of her building. Only a few stairs were left to climb. But her poor legs, unable to take the weight anymore buckled out from under her and she fell with a crash. She let out a string of expletives and staggered up, gathering her bags again and made her way to the door. Japanese houses, more or less had sliding doors. This she pushed open and stumbled in. She could hear the strains of a violin emanating from the bedroom. But she was too full of negative emotions to appreciate the music. Her glasses were balanced precariously on her nose and she wanted to rid herself of the load urgently. She practically ran into the kitchen and set everything down with a thud. The music stopped and Sanyu came hurrying into the room. "Natsu-chan! You didn't even announce you were back. Oh my god, what a cartload of groceries! You're so strong!" Sanyu exclaimed bouncing around happily. "Sanyu, could you please practice in the hall? I'm tired and I'd like to rest. Wake me up at 12:30." Natsumi said quietly. "Alright! Sleep well, Natsu-chan!" Natsumi nodded and pulled off her glasses. She went into the bedroom and changed into a pair of sweats and a shirt and flopped down on the bed. There was only one sentence that rang over and over in her mind:

"_Sweet! Why thank you, I was getting hungry, Miss Natsumi!"_

"_Fuck you Inuyasha!" _She thought antagonistically as she gripped her pillow tightly.

* * *

Natsumi was exhausted. Her hair was wispy and disheveled. Sweat poured down her face. She mopped it with the end of her apron and concentrated on her recipe. She was making the French shrimp stew. The kitchen clock showed 6:21pm. The guests wouldn't arrive till 7:30. All the same she would have to hurry. She, Amaya and Dana had got over with their recipes but a few important things were still left. Dana's Koulibiaka was taking its own time in the oven. Dana's mom had been a good cook and Dana had learnt to cook her favourite dish. All through the recipe Dana had said not a word and was immediately out of the kitchen the minute it was set to bake. Natsumi tried to help Dana but the girl had bluntly refused and had insisted on working alone. Still, she couldn't help worry about her friend and left a recipe, referenced from the net, near her counter. Sighing heavily she focused back on her cooking ignoring the throbbing pain that shot up her legs A lot of things were bothering her at the back of her mind. The tarte tatin, fish fry, puris and yakisoba were still to be made. Her erratic anxiety overtook her concentration. _'Will I be able to do it? Will I be able to cook everything properly? Oh gods, why the hell did I take this project over?! I should have made something simple…like a normal, sane person would.'_ She thought miserably but then shook her head. This whole plan was _hers_. If she couldn't follow through, everyone especially Amaya would feel insulted. The broth was still half done. "It'll take its own time. I'll make something else to lessen my workload." She said.

She checked on the koulibiaka. _'Nope, not yet done. Might as well go ahead with the yakisoba. At least it won't require the oven.' _She thought as she washed her hands and set about making the sauce for her noodles. She worked with concentration, the recipe copies in front of her. She did not want anything to go wrong and was very meticulous about her work. On one hand she checked the broth on the other she managed her noodles and on yet another hand she kept an eye on the koulibiaka. The microwave dinged to announce that the dish was ready. Natsumi blushed. She needn't fret after all. She took the hot steamy delicacy out of the oven and set it to cool. Here again the stew claimed its attention by trying to blow its lid off. She ran up to attend to it. _'God today is nightmarish!' _ When she looked at the clock she nearly died of fright. It was nearing 8:30. "Amaya! Could you please come here and help me? Your recipe is next!" Natsumi hollered in total panic. Amaya bounded into the room and said, "Calm down Natsu! Take a deep breath. My boss is not going to come until 9:00pm. What are you worried about?" "That still means that we have only half hour left. Take this sheet and prepare everything you need." Natsumi ordered. "Come on Natsu! Why are you so harried? They're not going to start eating right away." Amaya pointed out. "Just shut up and move your hands. You don't know what it's like to be cooped up in the kitchen with all the fire and tension." Natsumi snarled. "You're stretching it Natsu. Anyway, you're the one who wanted to do all this. I never told you to make so many freaking dishes!" Amaya countered annoyed. She did not reply. The last thing she wanted was a fight to blow things up. Leaning against the counter she rubbed her eyes.

Suddenly she could hear a mixture of new voices in the hall. Her ears perked up. _'Oh no.'_ She mouthed. Amaya bolted out of the room and Natsumi could hear the exchange of greetings that took place. She heaved a heavy sigh and walked back to the recipe that Amaya had started. There was no doubt that she would have to handle things alone. An hour passed. The dessert was ready. It didn't look all that presentable and she didn't know if it would be tasty. Well, she had done all she could. _'I'm not a fabulous chef and am certainly not an international chef. This was Amaya's responsibility. But she ditched out on me. I clarified with my friends that I could cook well my own cuisine. But they just dumped everything on me and ran away!'_ She thought irritated. There was no time for anything, though. The guests had arrived and it wouldn't help to delay. She mopped up her face with her stained apron and went back to her work. She set up things to fry her fish. This recipe was written by her mother in a diary-cum-cookbook so that she could cook her own meals. The diary contained everything from making a simple cup of tea to making more time-consuming preparations. The fish she cooked would be ordinary but the recipe was special. The salted and spiced fish would be rolled in semolina and shallow fried making it low fat and crisp. The semolina added a unique texture and blend to the fish. As soon as she had finished laying the fish in the pan she covered it with a lid and called out to Amaya. "What's it Natsu?" She questioned poking her head into the room.

"Our guests must be hungry. You can relay out the things we have prepared so far. I'll heat them up in the oven and you can take them out." Natsumi said as she reached into the fridge to pull out the fruit salad and dorayaki. "That's all fine Natsu. Why don't you come out and meet everyone?" Amaya asked as she put the dorayaki in the oven. "I cannot come away now Amaya. You know how difficult it will be to leave the kitchen with still some things to do. Also I'm not even in a presentable state. So please, if you and the others could heat up and relay out the food it will be a great help." She said. "Well, okay. I guess we can do that. But you should take a little break you know? It will kill you if you stress so much! You could just leave for a minute…" Amaya spoke with concern. "Oops! Every minute counts Amu!" Natsumi explained as she uncovered the fry fish and turned it over. "Mmmm…that smells appetizing Natsu! You're really a brilliant cook. Every time I taste your Japanese and Indian dishes I just swoon!" Amaya beamed as she sniffed the aroma of the fish. "Well I can cook my own dishes nicely…I've no idea how the other things are made…though…" Natsumi put in doubtfully as she placed the fried fish on a plate lined with tissues. "God, you are modest…" She commented as she took away the freshly fried fish, rice and fruit salad. Natsumi hummed as she cooked really getting into the mood for a party.

Loud dance music blared from the hall and Natsumi could hear most of the guests giggling and laughing. She sighed. It really sucked to be in a spot frying and cooking for all the people out there having fun. Her legs were really complaining now and she was getting hungry too. She mopped her face again. Well it was not going to take much time. Or so she hoped. There was one thing which was bothering her though. All the things that she had cooked were seemingly disappearing within minutes. She had lost count of the fish fry's. If that wasn't all entire lots of puris were disappearing into some unknown person's throat. Natsumi really couldn't take it anymore. She desperately wanted to go into the living room, sit under the fan or chat with other people. "Sanyu! Will you be here for a moment?" She called. Sanyu came in minutes after she was summoned. "Can you tell me how much more food-""Oh Natsu-chan you're just fabulous! I mean everyone just devoured your puris, prawn curry, fry fish and the vegetable. Dana's fruit salad and koulibiaka was awesome. But the stew tasted bland…and the dorayaki was…well okay…the tarte tatin was okay too. Anyway one guest is asking for even more puris! Could you comply, please?!" "But San—" Natsumi began in despair. The girl was out of the room anyway... _'Grrr…just who is that person who eats so much?! God, it is getting on my nerves now…'_ She thought annoyed. She picked up the ladle and went back to her cooking.

Natsumi was feeling quite sleepy now. She had sent over four lots of puris and people still demanded more. Her legs were really on the verge of giving way. She let out a large yawn as she reached for more flour. But she was so tired that the box just slipped out of her hands and hit the floor. "Oh Fuck." She cursed staring at the quantity of flour that was spilled. Amaya came running in. "Natsu, what happened?!" "I spilled the flour…"She answered wearily. Well, well…I told you're in no condition Natsu! Stop all this madness or you'll kill yourself! I haven't even introduced you to my boss! Come; come out of this hell hole now!" Amaya yelled as she gripped the other girl by her arm and pulled her out of the kitchen. Natsumi just managed to grab her glasses sitting on the counter as she hobbled out of the room. "And here everyone, we present to you, the talented woman behind all those wonderful dishes which you've just consumed!" Amaya announced as she shoved the embarrassed girl forward. "Uh, hi everyone…my name is…" She began but the sentence just stuck in her throat. She couldn't just believe it.

Inuyasha sat there rocked out of his senses, a half-eaten fish fry wedged between his fingers as his eyes met her gaze. She watched how he choked and coughed. That morning's incident came back to her in a flash.

"_Sweet! Why thank you, I was getting hungry, Miss Natsumi!"_

She stood there frozen in shock. Her head was spinning violently. She felt nauseous. _'_

_What is he doing here?'_ Her mind echoed over and over.

And to think that she had been dying in the kitchen for…this…this rude, condescending, gluttony animal just made her feel sick. Inuyasha was still coughing and refused to meet her gaze. Naturally, Amaya made the introductions and Natsumi caught that her boss was Inuyasha's elder brother Sesshoumaru. The older brother looked a more refined copy of the latter. His eyes were a little lighter and he was much taller than Inuyasha. He stood up now and extended his hand. Still confused by the drastic turn of events Natsumi cautiously shook his hand.

"We're very much honoured and obliged to you, Miss Natsumi. Your dishes were out of the world and we hope to come here again. My brother especially has been in strong appreciation of your cooking. There is of course no further need to be on our attendance and we expect you to enjoy the party as well." Sesshoumaru said smoothly but there was not the slightest expression on his face. Inuyasha squirmed in his seat. There would be no way to tell what was on his mind.

"Uhmm…th-thankyou, sir. I have some work to finish up…so if you'll excuse me…" She mumbled and slunk out of the room. She drank a few glasses of water and splashed some on her face, "What the hell is happening with me?!" She yelled frustrated.

Why in all of the earth had she been picked out for such an insulting moment? God really did have the worst sense of humor! She steadied herself by the sink and took deep calming breaths. Natsumi wasn't angry at Inuyasha for nearly incapacitating her. What annoyed her was that he had complete disregard for rules and treated everyone like dirt. She hate people who very overly rebellious. It was a right thing to rebel against injustice but it would be wrong to break perfectly sane rules! What was she to do? The morning's incident which had faded away in the tension and excitement of a party bobbed its ugly head with renewed vigour. She decided for once and for all to teach him a lesson. But how? Her mind raced. Suddenly her eyes fell on the tall glasses which Sanyu was filling up with orange juice.

Her eyes gleamed and a wicked smile cut across her features.

* * *

**A/N: I know that was excruciatingly long and I'm sorry for boring everyone to death. **

**I'm also sorry for the late update...I was too busy with commissions...**

**I promise that later chappies will be shorter. Half of the next chapter will be from Natsumi viewpoint and the other half will be from Inu's. I had to compromise somewhere…Sorry! **

**So how was it? The 5****th**** chapter will be up soon! Also here's a lil secret: There will be no more serious fights between our couple from the next chapter. So…you can say that the romance will begin soon! ^_^ **


	5. Thoughts Of The Two

**DISCLAIMER:** _I don't own Inuyasha. It's the property of Rumiko Takahashi _

* * *

Natsumi scrubbed and rinsed the dishes that her guests had eaten in. She was tired but triumphant. The clock showed 12:30 and she was already thinking of ditching the University and her office the next day. Well there was not much work anyway. Sure she had to sort out some photographs and finish her thesis on Asuka and Nara art but she was sure the work would be over soon. And of course the trip to Shimane prefecture to visit the Izumo-Taisha shrine had to be scheduled. But she need not worry about it now. She was more content feeling the cool water slide over her hands as she washed the utensils. She was happy for a very specific reason.

_An anguished howl emanated from the hall. _

"_Inuyasha-kun! What happened? Why are you screaming?!" Sanyu exclaimed in panic. _

"_Behave yourself, Inuyasha!" Sesshoumaru retorted coldly. His eyes held the quality of steel. _

"_Hooooooottttttttttttttt…..aahhh…phu…aaa" Inuyasha shrieked and panted dropping the glass of orange juice that he had just sipped._

"_Uuu…my tongue…" He whimpered sticking it out for everyone to see. Sesshoumaru grew disgusted mentally kicking himself for bringing his uncouth brother along. He should have known he would do something to cause humiliation._

"_Taishou-san! Are you all right?" Amaya asked equally confused. "Sanyu! What was there in Taishou-san's glass?!" She barked at the poor girl. _

"_Bu-but it was j-just orange juice Amaya-chan!" Sanyu fumbled on the verge of tears looking at everyone else for justification. _

_Tomoya, a dark-haired youth sitting beside his female copy nodded. "Sanyu is right, Taishou-san. We all drank it but nothing happened to us." _

"_Are you implying that I'm a liar?!" Inuyasha growled belligerently. "No. That's not what my brother means Taishou-san. He means that you may have misjudged the taste or something…" Chiyo responded quietly. _

_There was a silence in the room. The orange juice lay spilled on the floor accompanied by broken glass._

"_Gomen-nasai, everyone…Inuyasha-kun I'm sorry…it must be my mistake…"Sanyu whispered her eyes averted. Her voice shook. _

"_Minna-san what happened?! I just heard…" Natsumi shouted bounding into the room. _

"_Oh…what…happened?" She asked quietly taking in the scene. "It's all right Miss Natsumi. My brother was just being a klutz." Sesshoumaru explained with a wave of his hand. _

"_I'll clean up the mess." Natsumi said as she went up to pick the broken glass. _

'_Ah, the sweet melody of revenge!'_ Natsumi thought happily as she stacked the clean dishes into their right places. She now only had to clean the kitchen counter, wipe the floor and put back the leftovers in the fridge. He leg was still troubling her but she did not care. Just as she was finishing up the dishes Sanyu came up to her to help her. "So…did you enjoy the party Sanyu?" Natsumi asked as she handed out a dish to the girl to wipe. Sanyu did not reply. She went on with the work silently. Natsumi found this odd. Usually Sanyu was a very bubbly and talkative girl. Moreover she was the youngest of the group, only 20 years old. She usually was never quiet, unless there was a good reason… She glanced at the younger girl. Something was definitely wrong. Sanyu was hiding her eyes under her bangs.

"Sanyu…what's wrong?" Natsumi asked concerned. The girl's shoulders were trembling and she nearly dropped the plate. Natsumi caught it before it fell to the floor and grabbed the latter's arms. "Sanyu, what's wrong?!" She repeated in a panic filled voice. Sanyu looked up. There were tears in her eyes. "Sanyu…" Natsumi whispered bewildered.

"Why, Natsu-chan? Why did this happen?" She questioned tears streaking down her face.

"What is it Sanyu? What happened?" She asked tenderly patting the girl's back.

"Why did he have to be so rude?! If he didn't want it he could have refused! Why did he make such a big scene in front of everyone Natsu-chan?! Why?" Sanyu cried on the older girl's bosom. Natsumi was shaken. The realization sank in finally. She had been so obsessed by revenge that she had let it strike down everything in its path, including her friend's heart. Guilt pulled her down into its murky quicksand.

"Sanyu, calm down…some people are just made that way, they…snipe at everything, they…cannot appreciate anything…" She said trying to console her friend. Like some of her previous times, this statement appeared hollow and weightless. She hated herself now. Each drop of her friend's tear burned her like acid_. 'I'm such a horrible person…'_ She thought bitterly. The girl had stopped sobbing now.

"Natsu-chan, you'll not like this but…but…I know you're a great cook and all…but I had made that orange juice myself! I saw the way he gorged on your food. But when it came to me…why did he have to over-react?!" She asked hoarsely. Every word hit Natsumi like a whiplash. She bowed her head. _'I truly am responsible for breaking my friend's heart…Only I can set this right!'_

"Sanyu…why does it matter to you that Inuyasha did not like your orange juice? I heard from Dana that everyone else was praising it. Also you played the violin so beautifully…everyone clapped for that…you worked so hard…so why does the opinion of that impudent man matter to you so much?" Natsumi asked trying to cheer her up. Sanyu did not reply. She sat there with her head bowed. A long silence passed between the two. The clock showed 12:40am.

"If you don't want to tell me…I won't press you for an answer." She replied finally, as she got up and turned away. Her heart was heavy. She felt giddy. _'You should loathe yourself for this…'_ Her inner voice spoke. Suddenly Sanyu's cold hand grabbed at her sleeve. Natsumi glanced back. Sanyu did not lift up her head.

"I'll tell you…why…it matters…" Sanyu said in a barely audible voice.

"Why? Tell me San, why?" She asked.

"Because…I…I…like Inuyasha." She choked out.

* * *

Though Natsumi was thoroughly drained by the day's activities she could barely sleep. Her head was too filled with thoughts to let her rest. Sanyu's heart had to be healed. How? Somehow. The revelation that she admired Inuyasha had startled her. She couldn't believe that someone would like that man for any number of reasons. His brother seemed better…more polished…more courteous…but…leather-faced. Did Inuyasha know what she had done? Or did he blame Sanyu for it? Natsumi shuddered. She wouldn't want to know. She turned over on her side facing the wall. _'I'm extremely sorry Sanyu. If you knew the truth you'd kill me now…'_ She thought. Her conscience taunted her.

'_You're the worst friend ever.' _

'_You're a pathetic witch. You never care about anyone else. You're so obsessed with your twisted principles and opinions that you can never see anything beyond proving yourself right.' _

'_Why were you so angry with Inuyasha anyway? Your vengeance exacting habit broke your friend's heart! Get a grip, imbecile!' _

"Aaaugh stop it!" She nearly shrieked. _'I didn't know that Sanyu would be so hurt. I didn't know that she liked Inuyasha. I didn't know. My purpose was to irritate Inuyasha not Sanyu!' _She thought angrily. Why would these angst-ridden thoughts not disappear? _'But that doesn't mean that your act was justified…' _"I never said it was!" She snapped. _'God, I'll go insane if I think too much…I'll listen to some music. That'll relax me.'_ She decided. She reached out and grabbed her cell phone which was kept beside her. The earphones were usually popped in so that she could listen to music anytime she wanted. As soon as the screen lit up she noticed that she had received a text. It was from an unknown number. Natsumi hesitated. Who was it? She clicked it open. The message read:

"**Sorry. Since you have one hell of an ego I know you won't leave me in peace until I-ugh-apologize. If anyone gets a wind of this fact, I will personally inflict the most horrible torture imagined on you. Yes, you.**

**Don't ever contact me after this!"**

"So…he knows…" Natsumi muttered. Wonder what he thought of her…wait…what? That was pathetic. She shook her head. At least this issue was cleared up. He probably hated her. Anyway, an apology from this thick-skinned idiot was rare, no matter how brusque it may be.

Something had to be done about Sanyu…though.

Natsumi popped in her earphones and shut her eyes.

* * *

It was the worst Saturday of his life. His boss had ordered an overtime again. The workload was murderous but mercifully he wouldn't have to work into the far reaches of the night. He could head for home at his usual 7:00pm. But that also meant that his work required an observant eye and a fast hand. He withheld all his complaints and focused on his papers. Hour after hour Bankotsu would show up scrutinize his work, humiliate him for a few mistakes then place sheaf after sheaf of papers on his desk. _'Does he get no one else to pile his work on? I hope that ass gets into a horrible accident on his way_ _home. An accident in which he'd be most guaranteed to lose his arms and legs or more conveniently that loose tongue of his! '_ Inuyasha fumed. Today he was surely going to rip Bankotsu's pictures apart and burn them on the gas stove. What was even more annoying was that he was expected to do the shopping today. Sesshoumaru had made a deal that they would take turns every week. He obviously hated his brother's arrangements but there was no other way around it. If he tried to cheat by telling him he went the previous week the bastard would pull out his diary and point to the date. Apparently he inventoried all the days _he_ went for the shopping. Meticulous swine.

So when his mobile vibrated in his shirt pocket he did feel like he was in the midst of an earthquake. He pulled out the buzzing device and his eyes narrowed as they focused on the screen. _'Natsumi?!'_ His mind echoed unable to digest what it had just seen. Yep. Definitely his worst day. He grew irritated at the prospect of speaking to that woman. _'Didn't I just tell the bitch to stop bothering me?' _ He thought scornfully. Cutting the call he got back to his work. He didn't understand why Natsumi was calling him. He was pretty sure he'd cleared up the issue and ordered her not to call him again. Then why? Was he some sort of a punching bag for her that she could call him and dump her feelings on him whenever she wanted? He barely knew her! He felt disgusted by her behaviour. True he had behaved like a savage with her numerous times but it was his general nature. Nobody could change that, even if they wanted to. The phone rang a few times more but he ignored it.

The afternoon dragged on truly making him feel that he should actually attempt to murder his boss. Bankotsu was a highly egoistical man who took great pleasure in snubbing his subordinates. He treated everyone like crap, took all the credit when someone else was supposed to be credited and shifted all the blame on some poor scapegoat when he was at fault. To his superiors he was a paragon of all things fine while only his workmates knew his true nature. Inuyasha threw Bankotsu a well deserved glare before he packed up in the evening. _'He's alive only because he provides for my salary. Otherwise he'd be dead long ago'_ Inuyasha thought bitterly. The phone rang again making him lose his temper. "What is it?!" He snapped. "Don't yell, you dog! This is Kagura. The boss has asked me to remind you not to forget today's shopping." Sesshoumaru's secretary hollered into his ears.

"And who the hell are you to order me like that?! Why did that snob not call me himself?" He asked enraged. "Whatever. Boss is quite busy in his work, unlike you." She sneered and hung up. Inuyasha glared at the phone as if it was its fault. Infuriated he stormed out of the office. He so much wanted to destroy something. He would have to catch the bus to Market Square Sesshoumaru having taken the car today. _'Just you wait, you brute. I'll give you an earful when you get home!'_ He thought vengefully.

* * *

Inuyasha's shopping was done. He gave the grocery list on his mobile an once-over and sighed with relief. Soon he would be exiting this goddamn place. He squeezed through the aisle pushing his trolley carefully to avoid bumping into a number of people. He paid for his items at the counter and moved away. Ah, the relief! As he was moving toward the exit he noticed something disturbing. A kid was latched on one of the racks on which junk food was kept. This rack was usually at the back and was hardly populated. The little boy, no more than 6 years old, was stuffing his pockets with candies and biscuits and pushing some down under his T shirt. He then proceeded to rip open a chocolate bar and gobble it whole. Inuyasha was dismayed. This kid was definitely stealing and there was no one to mind him. Armed with the intention of setting the miscreant right Inuyasha stole up behind him caught him roughly by the collar and lifted him up. The thief gave a startled cry and all the goodies slipped out from his shirt. "Oi, kid, what are you doing here?" He asked brashly. The little fellow shot him a murderous look and immediately started bawling his eyes out. Uh huh…that was a bad move.

Almost instantly a young, thin woman strode up to him and bashed him over the head with her purse. Inuyasha ducked but could not dodge the blow and at the very same moment the thief gave his hand a sharp bite, dropped down and ran into his mother's arms. Inuyasha was internally cursing the brat and his mother. "Hey, you! What were you doing with my little boy? Trying to kidnap him, eh?" The woman screeched right in his face. "Hear, hear everyone! This man was trying to kidnap my son!" The woman heralded at the top of her voice. A lot of people came rushing at this news to gather in a small crowd, glared accusingly at him and gossiped among themselves. "Look, here woman, I was not kidnapping your brat! Your kid was stealing! I just caught him doing that." Inuyasha shot back. At this the crowd fell silent and glanced at each other doubtfully. The woman just stood there her eyes bugging out of her sockets while the child clung to her waist. He expected an immediate apology but he was in for a surprise.

"Are you accusing my child of stealing?! How dare you! My angelic Shippou wouldn't even think of doing such a thing! Does this look like the face of a thief?!" The woman cried pointing to the brat who shot her the most appealing look. _'Angelic? My ass…'_ Inuyasha thought irritated.

"You disgust me young man! You're truly a devil spawn accusing such an innocent child of doing something so heinous!" The woman rattled off in frenzy. The delinquent sniffled in mock innocence and sucked up to his mother even more. "Yes, Mama, this uncle was trying to kidnap me!" The child whined. Inuyasha was about to go ballistic.

"Just, shut up, wench! You don't know what your kid was doing! You're such a horrible parent for letting your kid get away with anything. I know what I saw. Your kid was clearly shop-lifting, look at all these; they dropped out of his pockets when I caught him!" He shouted pointing at all the goodies spilled on the floor. The woman stopped in mid sentence but continued to glare at him. "Who knows? You may have put them there purposely!" A person from the crowd barked. Inuyasha growled. The crowd was setting against him and he was in a watertight situation. He wasn't going to budge though. If the situation turned violent he knew he could kick their ass. "Are you giving up, kidnapper?" The woman asked with a sneer. _'She is a stick-man but has a lot of chutzpah, I'll admit.'_ He thought briskly.

"No. I'm not giving up! I know that your stinky brat was stealing! And anyway why would I want to kidnap a delinquent like him? He'd be probably too tough to manage. He was stuffing all the junk in his pockets and under his shirt. I saw it with my own eyes. Horrible parents like you make horrible kids. Probably, you too stole something when you were a kid! That's the reason why your kid has gotten into that habit!" Inuyasha lashed out angrily.

"What?! You call my kid stinky? You're probably stinky you, ass. How dare you use such words against me? Do you have any witnesses who will support your claim? I know you don't because no one saw my kid stealing because he cannot do such a thing. However, everyone saw you trying to kidnap him because that's what you were up to! Tell me do you have any witnesses, young man?" The woman shrieked again sticking her face near his. The troublesome child shot him a devilish grin and giggled villainously.

"I saw him." A voice echoed across the aisle. Everyone turned and Inuyasha nearly collapsed in surprise when he saw Natsumi striding up to him. "He is not lying. I saw that your kid was stealing, Ma'am. I also saw your kid eat a whole chocolate bar. You should apologize to this man." She explained quietly.

"Oh really?! Where in the hell were you when all this started?! Why are you coming and telling us all this now? Don't expect me to believe you, girl! For all I know you may be this kidnapper's accomplice." The woman bellowed glaring at Natsumi. Inuyasha blinked. His head was cart wheeling in his skull. Was this Natsumi some sort of a split personality? One day she treats him like a dog and now suddenly she's sticking up for him? He suddenly remembered her phone call. Was this incident anyway related? Was she helping him for some sort of a favour? He was uncertain about the matter. Natsumi meanwhile acted as his attorney arguing back and forth with the woman.

"How can you say that my son was stealing?! I know he was not! He can never do such a thing."

"I can say that because I and this man saw him stealing. Also you were not there to mind your child so you most probably don't know what was going on!"

"How and when did you see him? Please explain!"

"I was there in that other aisle minding my business when I saw this kid picking out goodies and stuffing them in his pockets. I also saw this man apprehending him for what he did. This makes your kid a criminal. I hope you understand what I mean!"

"You are lying! You did not come up as soon as you saw what was happening. You cann-" The woman was cut off as a man came into their midst. He separated the two quarrelling women and spoke, "Miss Natsumi?, I'm the store manager. I have looked at the cameras as you asked me to and I must say you are right." He now turned to the angry woman and said "Ma'am, your kid has been caught stealing on our camera. If you'd like I'll show you the footage. Also the reason why Miss Natsumi did not come up to you immediately and testify was because she came straight to me and reported the matter like a practical person. I have also seen this gentleman apprehend him and I applaud him for that. I request you to pay up for whatever your kid has stolen so far."

Inuyasha smirked triumphantly as the woman's expression underwent complete change. The kid who had been laughing a minute ago now looked scared and nervous. The woman stuttered and fumbled grabbed her child and bolted away. The crowd melted away quietly and the manager turned to Inuyasha, "Thanks a lot for your help, sir. That woman and her kid have been a nuisance so far. I already knew that this kid must have stolen something because he has been doing that for a long time. Just because of your help we have been able to nail him this time." He said bowing low. Inuyasha nearly blushed turned his face away and mumbled, "It was a duty…it does not matter."

"And you Miss Natsumi, we're much obliged to you for reporting the matter." The man said a pleasant smile on his face. Natsumi smiled. "It's alright, sir."

They moved out of the supermarket together in silence. Inuyasha studied Natsumi. She was good looking, if not beautiful. Her long hair was pulled in a pony tail. The shop lights reflected on her oval spectacles. She had a yellow olive skin tone. In Japan, where fair skin was revered she stood out, naturally. She wore a casual jeans and a collarless shirt and had an air of confidence about her. Inuyasha blinked. Why was he staring at her? This was the woman who had called him names and insulted him. He shouldn't be staring at her. He looked away and around. They were passing small shops and restaurants. Suddenly something hit him. Why was he walking with _her_? Wasn't his way in the opposite direction? He blushed. He felt so embarrassed that he wanted to melt away. _'How the hell have I become an amnesiac?'_ He growled. He shook his head and began to turn back. Something occurred to him. He needed to ask her something. "Oi, Natsumi!" He called. She turned around and her eyes widened in surprise. "Inuyasha? You're here?" Inuyasha let out a groan. So she didn't notice him…hey…why the hell should that matter?!

"Yeah. You're surprised? I needed to ask you something. Do you have a split personality or something?"

"No. Why, what's the matter?" She asked alarmed.

"Well, stop acting like you don't know! You treat me badly first and suddenly you're saving my butt! What's wrong with you? You either have some ulterior motive or you've simply forgotten that you hate me." He bristled.

"Inuyasha, look, I'm not too conditioned to get into an argument with you. I have some problems of my own to sort right. If you are asking me why I did help you, here is my answer: I stick up for the truth, that's all. There's nothing more beyond that. You did a good work in catching that thief. I feel no shame in admitting that." Natsumi clarified her brown eyes shining.

He turned away quietly. Natsumi was too complex for him to figure out. He had just begun to walk away when her voice echoed in his ears, "Inuyasha?"

"What now?" He asked trying to sound irritated. He nearly tripped when he realized what she said.

"Will you have some coffee with me?"

* * *

**A/N: Okay, okay I know this is lame. Everyone will begin: **

"**What?! So that's the turning point of the story?" or "We hate you Abori Chan!" or "You promised the romance will start from now!" or "This chapter was veeeeerrryyyy long!"**

**Okay I broke all my promises. I'm sorry for that. Please wait for the next chapter and keep the reviews coming in! I promise that as the chapter's progress I'll be adding more humor, more romance. And no, I haven't forgotten Miroku and Sango. **

**Please give me a little while to cement the couple's relationship. These things take time and for now there's only an inkling of a friendship. **


	6. Coffee with Crisis

**DISCLAIMER: **_I do not own Inuyasha. It is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. _

* * *

Inuyasha glared defiantly at the girl seated across him. He did not know why he had agreed to this but for the very fact that she had dragged him into the Coffee Shop. He sipped his coffee in a ruminative mood. He did not know what her motive in behaving with him thus was. Natsumi studied him from behind her glasses. She flashed him a smile and began, "You must be wondering what I am up to? Well, I need a little help from you." Inuyasha's eyes widened. Did he hear her correctly?

"You want help from _me_?" He asked.

"Yes although I'm not sure whether you'll agree to it." She muttered and sipped her tea.

"You must be joking! Just because you saved my butt, once in a blue moon, doesn't mean that I'm obliged to you for life!" He countered angrily. Why was this girl testing his patience repeatedly? He hated her for the fact that she was a hypocrite_. 'She must be mad to expect me to help her after all that she did.'_ He thought disdainfully. He had not forgotten the incident at the party.

"I know. However, I just want you to hear me out and consider what I have said. I am telling you for the second time; I did not help you in interest for an ulterior motive. I only helped you at the store because I know what you did was right. Whatever I'm going to tell you now has no connection with that incident." She spoke like a professional.

Inuyasha stared at her. She certainly seemed to be preoccupied with something. He could tell that by the way she held her cup and the distant look in her eyes. She definitely had a plan but where did he come into the picture? Why would she want to include him in her plans? He felt uneasy. He hoped she was not going to suggest something illegal or conspiratorial. She didn't look like it but you could never tell what was behind the face. He was already sick of selfish and manipulative people, having dealt with many such idiots in the past.

Natsumi glanced at him decisively. "Inuyasha, firstly I'm really sorry for whatever happened at and before the party. I take everything back." She said quietly.

"Of course, you need my help now…so you're going to apologize and emotionally blackmail me." He shot back bitingly.

Natsumi remained quiet her eyes downcast. After a long disturbing silence she whispered, "Perhaps you are right. I should not involve you in my problems. Just forget what I was going to say. Finish your coffee and leave. I'll pay since I dragged you in here unnecessarily."

"Oh shut up! I pay for whatever I eat or drink! For all I know, you may just use this little occasion to rope me in into something else." He shouted right into her face. Natsumi appeared stunned. The cup in her hand trembled. Her surprise faded and she gave him a piercing glare. "Fine, if that's what you wish just go ahead." She snapped. Inuyasha leaned back in his chair, crossed his hands over his chest and stared suspiciously at her. He would not be able to decode this woman, not in a thousand years.

"You were saying something…" He began. No matter how much he hated it she had been successful in perking his interest.

"You said it didn't matter. You said you were not going to help me in anyway. So why does it bother you now?" She asked setting her empty cup on the table with a clatter.

"I hate clipped sentences. You let me on halfway into your plan and then withdraw. You are quite a diplomat since you managed to make me interested into your plan." He muttered staring out of the window at the dazzling promenade.

"I'm worried about my friend Sanyu. She's upset because…you spit out her orange juice." Natsumi began with a sigh. "Well, it is not my fault, you know. You added something horrible into my drink, which made me react that way and I do not understand why your friend is so upset. I mean it was just orange juice." He muttered.

"I know. I added chili powder into your juice. She's upset because she made that orange juice herself…she didn't like the way you reacted." Natsumi said with a shrug.

"Why is that my fault? You added the chili powder, which made me act that way. It's your fault in this situation." He growled.

"I know that again. There is one little thing that I suggest though. I have a plan, I have thought of calling her here tomorrow and we both apologize for our behaviour. You tell her that you are sorry for what you did and I'll tell her that I did it on purpose because I had an argument with you. I will tell her that my purpose was not to hurt her. If we both apologize-" She explained.

"You want **ME** to apologize to **YOUR **friend?!" Inuyasha interrupted shocked. He just couldn't believe it. How twisted was this girl? Did she really think he was going to apologize for something he did not do on purpose?

"Are you sick or something? I mean, you want me to apologize for a natural reaction. That stuff you gave me was hot and it literally burned my insides. If your friend did not know and was hurt unintentionally, why am I to blame? You just can't expect me to sit there and smile when my ass is on fire, do you?! What kind of a friend is yours that gets upset over trivial things? Why should you care if she is upset? You are not her mother to care and she is not a baby that she cannot handle her problems. If your friend is upset, let her be she will cool off someday. I just cannot believe that you are asking me to apologize. You must be crazy!" He lashed out fiercely.

"You do have a point there, Inuyasha but I'm asking you to apologize because Sanyu thinks you're the culprit. You are not going to apologize alone. I will be telling her that everything happened because of me. That way you will never be blamed because you were never at fault. I am only asking you to speak so that Sanyu can really believe that the two of us really had a fight leading us to persecute each other. I am not shifting the blame on you. Does it really bother you to see other people happy?" She asked coolly summing him up from behind her glasses.

Inuyasha groaned. Why oh why did she find ways to trap him into her life? He grumbled to himself and then said, "No, it doesn't bother me to see other people happy. I'll do what you say, for the first and the last time but may I ask what kind of a friend is this Sanyu if she cannot even believe you? Again I don't understand why you're involving me in this."

"I need a witness, Inuyasha. Only the two of us know what has passed between each other. I only want you to confirm that I acted that way to teach you a lesson not to hurt Sanyu. You can do that at the very least right? I promise I won't shift the blame on you. Sanyu is the youngest member in our group, which means we very much treat her as a little sister. It is very difficult to shake her from the "sullen mood" which is why I need your help so that she can believe me. She's always quite bubbly and cheerful but it is hard for her to trust others." Natsumi explained quietly.

Inuyasha blinked. He did not know what to do. He really didn't want to get involved in this mess but the sincere appeal in Natsumi's eyes made him think differently. _'After all, she is just trying to cheer her friend. She is the one who is going to do the explanation; I just have to confirm whatever she says. Anyway it is Sunday tomorrow, so I'll be bored at home with Sesshoumaru…' _

"Fine, I will do as you say but only on one condition." He said looking straight at Natsumi. "What's your condition?" She asked warily. "I hope you will leave me alone after this." He stated leaning across the table. The girl glared at him and replied, "Sure. I too don't want an association with you anymore."

When Inuyasha got home that night, it was 8:30. _'Drat…I'll have to rush through the cooking before Sesshoumaru comes home.'_ He thought wearily as he loaded the food in the fridge. He pulled out a packet of noodles and set it to boil. Today's meal was going to be just simple udon*and omuretsu**. He stretched sleepily but went back to his cooking. He suddenly remembered the food he had on Thursday's party and his mouth began to water. _'Natsumi may be an aggressive idiot but her cooking is simply delicious…'_ He thought wistfully. Ah, how his tongue longed to taste those dishes again! It was a welcome change from the routine of a Spartan life. Inuyasha loved to eat and gorge himself on all sorts of cuisines. He loved most of his own food but the dishes he had consumed at the party were just heavenly! He would give anything to taste them again. _'Che, I should have made a deal for her to cook those dishes for me in exchange for my services…' _He wondered sighing sadly then shook his head. That would be absurd, asking one's enemy for a favour. He realized he had spaced out for a while and the udon was boiling over. He switched off the stove and stretched lazily once again.

'_Well tomorrow is another day…'_ He reflected as he stepped into the shower for a relaxing bath.

* * *

Inuyasha snorted as he entered the coffee shop. He still couldn't believe that he was doing this. He scanned the area, moved to an empty table and waited. A few minutes later he saw Natsumi and her friend enter the cafe. He waited patiently until they took their seats and placed their order.

"Hey Natsumi! Over here!" He called waving to attract their attention. "Hello Inuyasha! It is a surprise that you are here! I never expected to crash into you again!" Natsumi called with appropriate wonder. "Heh, I never expected that either." He sniffed and glanced at Sanyu who flinched away from him.

"How is your brother, Sesshoumaru?" Natsumi inquired.

"He's fine. He is buried under his workload so much so that he doesn't have a Sunday to spare. What about you?" He asked.

"Nothing much…I was just shopping for a friend's birthday." She answered shooting him a meaningful glance.

Inuyasha sighed inwardly and turned to Sanyu who sat, averting her eyes. "Hey Sanyu…there's something I have to tell you." The girl looked up at him in surprise. Knowing that he had claimed her attention he went on rather hesitatingly, "I am really sorry for whatever happened that night. I didn't mean it. So forgive me?"

He noticed how Sanyu's eyes widened and a small blush stole across her face. "Umm…it is all right Inuyasha-kun; I never said I took offence to that. You do not have to apologize."

"Actually, I'm not the only person who has to apologize, right Natsumi?" He asked cleverly looking up at the girl seated beside Sanyu.

She remained unperturbed and began clearly, "Inuyasha is right, San. I owe you a big apology too. Please do not blame Inuyasha for this. It is my fault. Inuyasha and I had big arguments before and were nearly at each other's throats. I put chili powder in his juice to teach him a lesson because he nearly ran me over that day when I was returning from the shopping. We had major arguments during previous meetings as well. Inuyasha's reaction to the acidic orange juice was just natural. That is why I brought him here so that you can understand that we didn't want to hurt your feelings."

Sanyu stared at the two of them dumbly. Inuyasha sighed and leaned back in his seat. He really hoped she wasn't going to throw a tantrum. "Sanyu…if you are angry-" Natsumi began gently. Sanyu's mouth broke into a smile and she began laughing hysterically. Her laughter echoed throughout the Coffee Shop making the customers turn their heads and stare in bewilderment. Inuyasha felt the heat flush his face. His hands balled into fists. _'What the hell is her problem?'_ He thought antagonistically. Natsumi's face was burning a scarlet red her hands clutched her dress. "What the hell are you laughing for?" She shrieked angrily. "I'm sorry Natsu-chan; I could not help laughing…you seriously mean to tell me that you invited me over so that you and Inuyasha-kun could apologize? Somehow, I really find that funny!" Sanyu explained still doubled over with laughter. Inuyasha's body twitched. He so much wanted to punch that idiotic face of hers. Natsumi seemed to mirror him except that there was a menacing glint in her eyes. She leaned across the table, banged her fist on it and spoke in a cutting voice, "San, if you have finished your little game, I want you to apologize to Inuyasha. Now." Instantly Sanyu straightened up, alarmed by the icy edge in her friend's voice and started rather hesitantly, "Uh…I was just jo-" "Spare me the details, San. Apologize, now." Natsumi interrupted threateningly.

"Uh…um…I am really sorry Inuyasha…I didn't mean that. I was just kidding." Sanyu murmured quietly. "Eh…heh…that is all right, Sanyu." Inuyasha stammered still a little confused by Natsumi's bi-polar reaction. Just then, his phone rang alarming everyone in the vicinity. He fumbled for it in his pocket and received the call. "Inuyasha, it is me Sango!" His neighbour's voice rang out before he could speak. "Yea, what's the matter Sango? You sound harried." He said a little concerned. "What's not to be stressed about, Inuyasha? Miroku's in trouble…again." Sango yelled frantically.

"What?! What is it this time?" He asked in exasperation as he stood up nearly toppling the chair over. The two women seemed affected by his behaviour and started to stir. He threw them an irritated look and motioned them to remain seated. On the other side, Sango let out an agitated sigh and continued,

"He's unconscious and is bleeding through the nose. His boss, the shoe shop owner has rushed him to the Aiyama Hospital and that is where I am right now. It seems the matter is quite serious because he hit on some foreigner in the shop and her boyfriend beat him up. It is really a mess here Inuyasha because nobody can understand their language and I am worried about Miroku. The hospital is denying entrance to the patient since they say it is a police case and the cops have the foreigner arrested. They have called for a translator but there is no sign of him…I figured I should call you since I'm really confused and stressed out."

"Calm down, Sango. Don't worry I will be there in a few minutes." Inuyasha responded quickly and turned to the girls. "I'm sorry; there is a huge emergency right now. I have to go." "What is the matter? What happened to Sango?" Natsumi asked quickly. Inuyasha felt annoyed. He had no time to answer her silly questions. "What is it to you? I am in a hurry! Something serious has cropped up! Don't delay me any further." He snarled and stormed away. "Inuyasha, please tell us! What is wrong? Maybe we will be able to help!" Natsumi persisted, still dogging his steps. "Fine. Miroku is in deep shit due to his sandal-throwing habit. He is in the hospital unconscious and bleeding from the nose. The person who hit him is a foreigner and nobody is able to make out what he is trying to say. Sango's nerves are going to pieces. What else do you want to know?" Inuyasha explained still irritated. "We are coming with you." Natsumi insisted. "What the hell for? Why do you meddle in my life? And I don't see how having you over is going to ease the situation, anyhow..." He griped staring down at the girl before him.

A tiny smirk lit up Natsumi's features. "You may not know this, Inuyasha, but I am a translator. I can definitely help solve your problem." She asserted confidently. Sanyu nodded in agreement.

Inuyasha gazed at her. Her aura of confidence was infectious. "Alright, let's move." He concluded as he hailed a cab.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the late update. My internet was being a dick ^^;**

**I have nothing more to say than the usual "Wait for the next chapter". **


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